PEOPLE

Former SEC Senior Counsel Discusses the Digital Assets Space (Part One of Two)

Philip Moustakis, most recently a Senior Counsel in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, has joined Seward & Kissel as counsel. As Senior Counsel for more than a decade, Moustakis investigated and prosecuted complex matters involving violations of the federal securities laws. He also served a lengthy tenure in the Asset Management Unit; was a founding member of the Cyber Unit, where he focused on cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings; and was a founding member of the Distributed Ledger Technology Working Group, which was formed to coordinate the response to the emerging technology across the SEC’s divisions and offices. The Hedge Fund Law Report recently interviewed Moustakis in connection with his move to Seward & Kissel. This first article in our two-part series summarizes his thoughts on his experience in the government, as well as the regulatory approach to digital assets and blockchain. The second article will explore enforcement trends in general and in the digital asset space specifically, along with whistleblowers. For additional insight from other Seward & Kissel attorneys, see “With the Filing Deadline Looming for Many Advisers, Seward & Kissel Attorneys Provide a Roadmap to Amended Form ADV” (Mar. 8, 2018); and our two-part series “HFLR and Seward & Kissel Webinar Explores Trends Identified in Side Letter Study”: Part One (Nov. 16, 2017); and Part Two (Nov. 30, 2017).